A man who collapsed and died on his beloved Carnoustie golf course was just days away from meeting his new grandson for the first time.
Chris Smith, a retired primary school teacher and former Carnoustie club captain, took ill during a tournament at the iconic links last week.
Despite efforts to save him, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Chris, 68, had lived with wife Patricia in Carnoustie for about 40 years.
He had sons Neil, based in Denmark, and Graeme, 44, a police officer in Melbourne – along with grandsons Magnus, two, and four-month-old Caelan, who he had been due to meet.
Speaking to The Courier, Neil, 41, said: “My dad saw them both via Facetime, he was proud of them both and loved them both.
“Mum and dad were due to fly out to Denmark next week, so unfortunately he never got the chance to meet Caelan in person.
“That’s one thing that we really regret.
“Nothing is really hitting home at the moment. We’re just getting through the motions of the funeral and whatnot.
“What is comforting is the outpouring of messages we’ve had from people who knew him, because he was so big in the golfing community – not just in Carnoustie but worldwide.
“It’s obviously hit us as a family because it’s so sudden. With my brother in Australia and me being based in Denmark, it’s been more difficult for us to come together as a family.
“But we are managing, technology obviously helps for planning things and staying in touch.
“We are devastated, particularly around how sudden it was. That was the hardest thing.”
Chris served as the captain of Carnoustie Golf Club between 1995 and 1997.
Neil said: “Most of his achievements in golf, latterly, were around his marshalling of tournaments, because Carnoustie came back on to a lot of the major circuits.
“He was deputy head marshal for The Open in 2018. He was the head marshal for Carnoustie during all the Dunhills for most of the recent years, and he was due to be head marshal for the Dunhill tournament in a few weeks’ time.
“He was also deputy head marshal for the recent Women’s Open.
“That was what he was most proud of, seeing all the money coming into Carnoustie, the course and people enjoying the course.
“He took a real buzz from that, from being involved in those things at his home course.
“He was born in St Andrews and that was where he started his golfing love. He was pictured on the front of Golf Monthly back in the 1950s, when they did a front cover about St Andrews.
“He was due to marshal at The Open at St Andrews next year, when they do the 150th anniversary because he always went and helped them when they did the tournaments as well.”
Chris helped sign Dundee FC star
Chris had spent his working life as a primary school teacher in the likes of Lochgelly, Montrose and Carnoustie – as well as Dundee – his final job being at Charleston Primary School.
He also had a passion for football and coached youths at boyhood club Dundee, along with Dundee United, Arbroath, Dunfermline and Raith Rovers.
Neil said: “One of the things he was most proud about was being involved in the signing of Kevin McDonald, when he was a kid.
“Kevin then went on to Burnley, I think for about £500,000.
“Dad was always very proud of the fact that was something he had a hand in.
“A final twist was that dad was a big Spurs fan, and Kevin went on to score two goals against their arch rivals Arsenal in the cup to knock them out.”